How many times during the product delivery, we have added features that do not necessarily contribute to the solution or solve an impeding need of the user. How many times we make assumptions of what our users want rather than deeply understanding their needs?

One of the most common challenges encountered in the industry today is the focus on practicing Inside-Out product development, wherein the build stages of the product development there is zero to a very minimal customer interaction, and a heavy focus on selling a finished product.

Greater competition and growing consumer power warrants us to shift our focus from the traditional non value added activities of detailed up front analysis, high level estimations and scope management to a more outcome based approach that see customer experience as the only sustainable source of competitive differentiation. One such thought process that delights customers and engages them at every step of the product development journey is the “Design Thinking”- with Design thinking we can build products that customers will love and transform the complete customer experience.

Design thinking is a proven and repeatable problem-solving framework that can be used to solve complex problems with a customer centric approach.

It is based on these key principles:

Focus on Customer needs and experiences, especially the emotional ones.

It focuses on Outside-In product development versus the traditional Inside Out product development.

It promotes the philosophy of “fail early and often” through prototyping

Bio:

Masood Pathan is a Senior Manager of Engineering at Dell Technologies, where he is responsible for leading engineering teams towards product development. Prior to this role, Masood held several management positions at Deloitte, Sabre Airline Solutions and has been playing key roles in supporting large scale Lean & Agile transformations. Masood is also a leading proponent of applying Design thinking as a way to solve complex technology problems and human-centric approach. Masood has a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Karnataka University, India and an MBA degree from Webster University, St Louis.

By attending this ASEE meeting you will learn tips and how supportive learn-by-doing that allows one to achieve goals. Learn how Toastmasters has changed the lives of members.

Our speaker asks: Does this sound like you?

You may have heard the name “Toastmasters” once or twice before but you never received enough information to really understand what Toastmasters is, how it works and most importantly what’s in it for me?

This was my experience until I visited my first club meeting.

To fix this, we are bringing the “Oh Thank Heaven” Toastmasters club meeting experience to you at the ASEE monthly meeting on March 6th at the 7-Eleven Store Support Center in Las Colinas.

You will get to:

Experience a typical club meeting

Learn about various roles at club meetings &

Hear how Toastmasters has helped others and

Find out how Toastmasters can help you become a better leader.

Toastmaster’s motto is: “Where Leaders Are Made”. With Toastmasters, You can be a better version of You!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

” Career Opportunities with an Eye to the Future in 2018 ” Presented By: Red River Systems of Addison

Steve Barton is a 7-Eleven leader and the chief evangelist for project management activities at 7-Eleven, Inc. As a Servant Leader Steve works with team members to apply appropriate project management activities. Steve has 25+ years at 7-Eleven with store operations and IT experience and has supported the four largest transformation programs within 7-Eleven during the last 20 years. He is a graduate of Kansas University (BS Business), Steve has the distinction of being a Quartermaster Sea Scout (equivalent to Eagle Scout), Steve served in US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer.

Successful businesses in digital are harnessing technology advances to create superior customer experiences. To build it first time right, enterprises should elevate QA outcomes from:

Application quality to business process assurance

BOT based predictive analytics on Defect

Intelligent Testing thru quality engineering

Quality Orchestration

Vineet Srinivasan is an accomplished QA Leader with 15+ yrs of extensive experience in providing thought leadership, setting up of large TCoE for multiple Retail & Consumer Goods Customers. He has rich experience in QA/QE Delivery, QA advisory and consultative services to CIOs and IT Executives. He has been with Cognizant for over 11 years and is now the Solution Architect/BU Lead for Retail CG South Central at Cognizant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Current State of Software Engineering“, Presented by Mary Sakry, The Process Group

Since the beginning of Software Engineering, our primary focus has been on creating and delivering products to users, so that we can create more products for even more users! Meanwhile several of us, have spent decades coaching and aiding organizations to improve appropriate ways of running and implementing their products.

Mary will examine the progress and discuss the current state of Software Engineering. Come prepared to examine the current state and think about where we are headed. More than 20 years ago I was spending time in India and other places around the world; while now most of my time is spent in China. What should you be excited about, concerned about, and which actions should we take to move the industry forward?

Mary Sakry is a software process improvement engineer. Her Background, includes engineering, process management (services and development), project management and software development. For decades, she has been helping organizations improve their software engineering. Since 2009 she has been focusing on Chinese development organizations that are working at CMMI high maturity levels. Mostly, she inspires developers and managers to fix problems resulting in better functioning and happier organizations. She is the co-workshop chair for the ASSE workshops. She and Neil Potter, Co-authored “Making Process Improvement Work – A Concise Action Guide for Software Managers and Practitioners,” Addison-Wesley, 2002.

An important aspect of performance testing is providing actionable information related to a proposed solution. Too often we hear, “just add users until it breaks”. Using a case-study approach, we will walk through the steps to correctly model and execute our performance tests. Along the way, we will learn how to determine the true objective of a test, reveal hidden requirements, address resource constraints, and create a model which represents the expected usage of the solution.

Ron Franklin is a thirty year veteran with a proven track record of successfully architecting application performance management and performance test solutions for Fortune 500 businesses; fulfilling mission-critical performance objectives and goals, directing cross-functional technology teams, and leading complex projects from conception to deployment. Ron is an accomplished speaker and has presented locally. He is active in local user groups and is on the Board of Directors of DFW-Quality Assurance Association (DFW-QAA).

The many technologies that enable IoT/M2M are driving the next industrial revolution. We’ll be able to monitor and control… and analyze objects and conditions that were never technically or economically possible before.

Connectivity technologies like cellular, satellite, wireline, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mesh, etc. will be joined by powerful Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies that will enable low cost, long range, deep-building penetration and long-battery-life connectivity that will make possible applications that were never practical before.

This presentation will give a brief history of IoT/M2M, then explain what LPWANs are and why they will be so important in enabling IoT/M2M, and finally who the most likely long-term players will be in LPWAN arena.

About DFW – ASEE

The DFW Association for Software Engineering Excellence is dedicated to providing a platform for community learning, awareness, and networking for Software and Quality Engineers, and associated Software Management professionals.